US forces should remove PCB waste: JCP

Japanese Communist Party representative Kami Tomoko on March 28 demanded that the government require the U.S. Forces to take toxic materials back to their home country.

According to the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement, the Japanese government has to clean up any contamination the U.S. forces leave behind at returned sites.

Some 300 tons of sludge containing polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) were found at the returned U.S. Maine Corps Onna Communication site in Onna Village, Okinawa.

At a special committee meeting dealing with Okinawa and “northern problems” in the House of Councilors, Kami demanded that the government negotiate with the USFJ for revision of the agreement to mandate the USFJ to take the PCB-contaminated waste back to their country.

Foreign Minister Genba Koichiro answered that this issue will be discussed at a future Japan-U.S. Joint Committee meeting.